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thedrifter
04-30-07, 05:37 AM
Thunderous applause greets Marines on return to Lansing

Susan Vela
Lansing State Journal

Owosso's Teri Hoenshell, a petite blonde, wove her way through a thick crowd of reuniting families - all of whom seemed taller.

Then she saw her husband, Cpl. Scott Hoenshell, dressed like the others in a desert camouflage uniform. Almost immediately, he took their 7-month-old daughter, Danika, in his arms. He hadn't seen the child since soon after her birth.

Hoenshell eventually handed the baby over to his wife. He tilted the baby's bottle for a better angle.

"I got you," he whispered. "Is that better?"

Charlie Company, a Lansing-based Marine reserve unit, returned home Sunday after a seven-month deployment to Iraq.

Hoenshell was among 116 members who entered Pattengill Middle School's gymnasium around 4 p.m., standing proudly before supporters who had waited three hours for their arrival.

Thunderous applause rang from the bleachers. At half court, supporters waved signs with the warmest of greetings - "Thank you, America's Finest!" and "Welcome Home."

And then the men, some of them recovering from wounds, were released from duty.

Their loved ones swarmed the court, embracing the men who made it home from Iraq's combat zone, where they trained and assisted Iraqi allies in the mayhem of the Fallujah violence and saw eight of their comrades die.

Second tour in Iraq

This was Charlie Company's second tour of duty in Iraq since the war began four years ago.

There were no fatalities during the first tour. This one took the lives of several, including Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey, 24, of Eaton Rapids.

Charlie Company likely won't have another tour for two years, according to Gunnery Sgt. William Redd.

While in Iraq, Hoenshell worried constantly that he was missing some of the most cherished moments of parenthood. His wife assured him that there were plenty of memorable times ahead ... if he just made it home.

Hoenshell touched his wife's arm and stared into Danika's blue eyes.

"I'm just happy," he said, still speaking in hushed tones.

Shoulder to shoulder

Ashley resident Annette Schulz didn't let her son, Lance Cpl. Aaron Schulz, out of her sight Sunday.

She begged him not to join the Marine Corps after the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy. But he did anyway.

While her son was in Iraq, Schulz e-mailed him every morning before going to work. She tried to comfort him whenever another Charlie Company member died.

"He was very upset to know some of them had children. That was very hard on him," Schulz said.

Mom and son stood almost shoulder to shoulder Sunday. Annette Schulz was thankful to know her 23-year-old son, who never had a brother, now has many.

"It was hard at times," her Marine agreed. However, "we had a great group of guys over there. That made it a lot easier."

The crowd broke up quickly, with families hitting the road for Sunday meals that included pizza, potato salad, and sloppy joes - some favorites the Marines said they wanted.

'Really good job'

Jesus Arroyo, 27, of Lansing, lingered with his family and girlfriend of three years, Bianca Davis.

"We did a really good job," he said of Charlie Company's work in Iraq.

While he reacclimates to civilian life and considers reenlisting, Arroyo won't be able to escape the combat zone completely since war reports still fill the news.

"I haven't seen TV in a while so I might just watch it," he said.

Tamma Rae Stewart is concerned that the combat deaths may have damaged her son's psyche. Only time will tell. For now, there's his wedding to plan.

Lance Cpl. Aaron Stewart, a Dansville High School graduate, will marry Stephanie Pierce of Battle Creek on July 7.

"It's like Christmas morning," Aaron Stewart said Sunday, Pierce standing at his side.

Contact Susan Vela at 702-4248 or svela@lsj.com.

Ellie